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Officials confirm body of Marine who fell from Osprey found

Published: Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at 06:47 PM.

On Tuesday, more than 100 Marines and hundreds of civilians, law enforcement professionals and state searched near White Lake for the Marine.

At a joint command center in White Lake, about an hour and a half west of Jacksonville, the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office and EMS, North Carolina Parks, Forestry and Highway Patrol and the White Lake Fire Department worked with the Marine Corps in the search.

Government officials in White Lake and Bladen County did not wish to comment on the search. Efforts to contact Bladen County Emergency Services were unsuccessful as of deadline on Tuesday.

Rebecca Gonzalez, 24, of Jacksonville spent her time in the Marine Corps as an aviation ordnance technician and flew countless hours in a helicopter, the CH-53E Super Stallion, as an aerial observer.

According to Gonzalez, the gunner’s belt, a harness that keeps air crew strapped into helicopters, should have prevented the Marine’s fall. Marine Corps officials have not confirmed whether the Marine was wearing a harness at the time of the fall, due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

Safety procedures, she said, include pre-takeoff checklists that ensure that all cargo is strapped down, passengers are seated and wearing harnesses and that the entire crew is wearing gunner’s belts. The belt is anchored to the frame of the helicopter; and if a Marine were to fall out while properly wearing a defect-free belt, he or she would “dangle” from the helicopter, but would not fall to the ground, she said.

Marines, she said, are allowed to unharness themselves to move about the cabin, but must first notify the pilots to ensure that they do not aggressively maneuver the aircraft, a measure Gonzalez said is to prevent injury within the helicopter or falls from the aircraft.

A Marine veteran said that following established safety procedures may have prevented a Marine crew chief from falling from an MV-22 Osprey during flight operations.

The Marine’s body was found approximately 24 hours after he fell from a New River Air Station-based Osprey during a training mission, according to Marine officials.

“At this point, it appears he died as a result of the fall,” Mike Barton, deputy director of public affairs for 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, said late Tuesday via a release.

Marine officials say the details surrounding the incident are under investigation.

“We deeply mourn the loss of a member of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing family today. I’d like to extend my sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of our Marine,” said Maj. Gen. Robert Hedelund, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing commanding general. “I also want to extend my thanks to the community for their tireless efforts throughout this search. Without your cooperation, we could not have brought closure to this phase of such an unfortunate incident.”

The Marine will not be identified until 24 hours after the notification of next of kin.

On Tuesday, more than 100 Marines and hundreds of civilians, law enforcement professionals and state searched near White Lake for the Marine.

At a joint command center in White Lake, about an hour and a half west of Jacksonville, the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office and EMS, North Carolina Parks, Forestry and Highway Patrol and the White Lake Fire Department worked with the Marine Corps in the search.

Government officials in White Lake and Bladen County did not wish to comment on the search. Efforts to contact Bladen County Emergency Services were unsuccessful as of deadline on Tuesday.

Rebecca Gonzalez, 24, of Jacksonville spent her time in the Marine Corps as an aviation ordnance technician and flew countless hours in a helicopter, the CH-53E Super Stallion, as an aerial observer.

According to Gonzalez, the gunner’s belt, a harness that keeps air crew strapped into helicopters, should have prevented the Marine’s fall. Marine Corps officials have not confirmed whether the Marine was wearing a harness at the time of the fall, due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

Safety procedures, she said, include pre-takeoff checklists that ensure that all cargo is strapped down, passengers are seated and wearing harnesses and that the entire crew is wearing gunner’s belts. The belt is anchored to the frame of the helicopter; and if a Marine were to fall out while properly wearing a defect-free belt, he or she would “dangle” from the helicopter, but would not fall to the ground, she said.

Marines, she said, are allowed to unharness themselves to move about the cabin, but must first notify the pilots to ensure that they do not aggressively maneuver the aircraft, a measure Gonzalez said is to prevent injury within the helicopter or falls from the aircraft.

“It is not impossible to fall from a helicopter when you are doing crazy banks or if (the helicopter is) on fire because you’d do hard turns,” Gonzalez said. “You could potentially fall out of the aircraft unintentionally, but you would have the gunner’s belt to hold you from falling to the ground. So, while it is possible to fall out, if you’re properly harnessed in, falling to the ground can be prevented.”

Safety procedures, according to Gonzalez, are taught from day one. Crews are given frequent briefs and are tested prior to becoming a crew chief on the Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization, or NATOPS, a guideline that prescribes general flight and operating instructions for all U.S. naval aircraft and related activities. Gonzalez said recertification is required and inadequate familiarization with the NATOPS would result in not being allowed to conduct flight operations.

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Updated at 7:09 p.m.

The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Marine who fell from an MV-22B Osprey tilt rotor aircraft yesterday was found deceased late this afternoon. At this point, it appears he died as a result of the fall.

The Marine was a crewmember of an aircraft that was conducting a training flight at the time of the mishap. We cannot identify the Marine until 24 hours after the notification of next of kin.

While the details surrounding the incident are under investigation, we ask that everyone keeps this Marine's family, and all those affected by this tragedy, in their thoughts and prayers. This sad news affects us all -- his family, his extended Marine family, and the community who provided selfless support during this tragic event.

"We deeply mourn the loss of a member of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing family today. I'd like to extend my sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of our Marine," said Maj. Gen. Robert Hedelund, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing commanding general. "I also want to extend my thanks to the community for their tireless efforts throughout this search. Without your cooperation, we could not have brought closure to this phase of such an unfortunate incident."

Those participating in the search efforts include 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing helicopters and Ospreys based at MCAS New River; and search and rescue helicopters from Marine Transport Squadron 1 out of MCAS Cherry Point. Local civilian fire and rescue units include: Bladen County Sheriff and Emergency Medical Service personnel, White Lakes Police and Fire Departments, Bay Tree Lakes Fire Department, North Carolina Highway Patrol, North Carolina Forest Service and State Parks personnel.

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According to media reports, the body of the Marine who fell from an Osprey Monday night has been located.

A coroner in Bladen County has told media that a body was located on the edge of a blueberry field.